Molecular toxicity of aluminium in relation to neurodegeneration

Exposure to high levels of aluminium (Al) leads to neurofibrillary degeneration and that Al
concentration is increased in degenerating neurons in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Nevertheless, the
role of Al in AD remains controversial and there is little proof directly interlinking Al to AD. The
major problem in understanding Al toxicity is the complex Al speciation chemistry in biological
systems. A new dimension is provided to show that Al-maltolate treated aged rabbits can be used as
a suitable animal model for understanding the pathology in AD. The intracisternal injection of Almaltolate
into aged New Zealand white rabbits results in pathology that mimics several of the
neuropathological, biochemical and behavioural changes as observed in AD. The neurodegenerative
effects include the formation of intraneuronal neurofilamentous aggregates that are tau positive,
oxidative stress and apoptosis. The present review discusses the role of Al and use of Al-treated
aged rabbit as a suitable animal model to understand AD pathogenesis.